What is Digital Transformation, and why does it matter?

COVID-19 has changed the way businesses operate. It forced many interactions that would take place face to face to online platforms. You have probably heard the term Digital Transformation by now, but what is it, and why should you care?

What is Digital Transformation?

According to the Enterpriser's Project, a community dedicated to helping CIO's and IT leaders solve their problems:

"Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers. It's also a cultural change that requires organizations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment, and get comfortable with failure. This sometimes means walking away from long-standing business processes that companies were built upon in favor of relatively new practices that are still being defined".

Digital transformation may signal the disruption of old operating models and a shift to experiment more with agile ways of meeting the needs of your consumers. Don't feel stuck in your work towards your transformation. Getting from vision to execution takes time and patience to overcome. Dealing with the hurdles of culture change, process alignment, and budgeting will take time to complete successfully.

Why Does It Matter?

A business may take on digital transformation for several reasons. But by far, the most likely reason is that they must; it's a survival issue for many. Again, from the Enterpriser's Project:

"Look at the S&P 500. According to the American Enterprise Foundation, in 1958, U.S. corporations remained on that index for an average of 61 years. By 2011, it was 18 years. Today, some companies are replaced on the S&P approximately every two weeks. Technology has driven this shift, and companies that want to succeed must understand how to merge technology with strategy."

The pace of change is accelerating, and it's eat or be eaten in this new age. It will not be easy, and failure is to be expected. Trial and error is the best weapon you can apply to find out what works and what doesn't for your organization's situation.

Social Trends Accelerating This Change

There are many reasons why this shift is taking place, as we have already discussed, but here are another five reasons why it is so vital right now.  

1. Most shoppers look online for purchases.

2. Customers are shopping more omnichannel than ever (Consumers can then shop across multiple outlets and channels without any disruption).

3. Most shoppers seek instant-purchase gratification.

4. Many brands need an online presence to show value.

5. Most of today's work is completed online.

So, we know why it's happening, but how can we usher successful change?

Promoting Digital Adoption

Many of us have smartphones. These phones feel like an extension of ourselves and have become second nature to the user. That's the goal of digital adoption. Still, users may open app after app every day but only use them to perform a small set of tasks each time and are not necessarily using the device to the fullest extent. We may be too busy for digital adoption, and instead, we settle for below-average knowledge of its capabilities.

How Can We Drive Successful Digital Adoption?

Beginning with an ideal digital adoption platform to help facilitate high performance and productivity across existing platforms is an excellent place to start. Team members may need a more profound knowledge of systems such as ERP, CRM, or HCM, whose outlets can be complicated and highly tailored to the needs of the company served. Users need ample training time to unlock the value of their practices and features.

The level of competence users can expect will depend on the quality of training and onboarding. With sub-par training, the new product may slow down and prevent functional knowledge from being applied. If most team members work remotely, it can be exceedingly challenging to make this implementation interactive and engaging. Try to gamify and drive the activities towards a user-friendly and active format to encourage a high level of participation when rolling out new platforms.